Means for associating sheet-feeding mechanism with printing-presses



R. E. KEMPER. MEANS FOR ASSOCIATING SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM WITHPRINTING PRESSES.

APPLICATION HLED JAN. 5, 1920.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I- R. E/KEMPER. MEANS FOR ASSOCIATING SHEET FEEDINGMECHANISM WITH PRINTING PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED ]AN.5,1920.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

'3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IIIIIIIIII R. E. KEMPE R. MEANS FOR ASSOCIATING SHEET FEEDING MECHANISMWITH PRINTING PRESSES. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 5, I920.

Patented NOV- 2, 1920. I 3 SHEETSSIIEET 3.

hurrah stares Parent attics.

ROBERT E. KEMPEB, 0F BENSSELAER, NEW YORK.

I EEANS FOR ASSOCIATING SHEET-FEEDING MECHANISM Application filedJanuary 5, 1920.

T 0 (:ZZ 70/ 60171, it may concern:

Be it known that l', .lZc-nunr l3. Hntzrnn, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at lleinsselaer, in the county of Rensselaer and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Meansfor Associating Sheet-Feeding Mechanism with P1'iuting-Pressesg and I dohereby declare the following to b 2. full, clear, and exact descriptionoi the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

lily invention consists in the novel features hereinafter described,reference being had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate oneembodiment oi": the same selected by me for purposes of illustration,and the said in vention is fully disclosed in the following descriptionand claims.

In the operation of printing presses in connection with automatic sheetfeeding mechanism, the sheet feeding mechanism is usually located at therear of the press adjacent to the feeding table and is permanentlysupported with respect to the press. It it beromes necessary for theoperators to do any work in mnneetion with that portion of the pressadjacent to the automatic teed-- ing mechanism, it is extremelyditlicult to get access to the press between the rear end of the pressand the feeding mechanism. In the case of printing presses in which aciprocating bed is employedin conjunction with a press roller a greatdeal of work must be done on the bed in connection with every job,necessitating the operator placing himself in trying positions, andworking at great disad *antage through apertures in the sides of thepress, or in the very small spzno between the press and the feedingmecha nism, usually from the side 01. the press. My invention isdesigned to obviate this ditti-"ulty by mounting the automatic sheetfeeding mechanism upon a separate frame which is movable into and out ofoperative relation with the press, and preferably laterally thereof, soas to give access to the entire rear portion of the press, the sheetfeeding mechanism beingpreferably guided in its movement into and out ofoperative posi tion, and I further provide driving mechanism for thesheet feeding mechanism, comprising a driving member permanently located on the press, and operatively conneeted with some driving partthereof, and a concentrically located driven member car- Specificationof Letters Eatent.

V7 1TH PRIN TIN G-PRESSES.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920. Serial No. 349,448.

ried by and permanently associated with the frame 01" the feedmechanism, said members being provided with interengaging parts forinsuring their concentricity when 111 operative relation and forconnecting them for joint rotation. It is necessary obviously that thedriven and driving members should. also engage each other in timedrelation, and as they may not be in this relation when brought togetherowing to some adjustments which may have taken place in either the feedmechanism or the press while they have been in separated relation, ifthe inter-engaging driving parts of the said members were made rigid,they would either prevent the proper engagement of said parts, if theydid not come together correctly, or said parts would be broken. Itherefore preferably provide means for insuring their properinterengagement in. timed relation, and in the present embodiment of myinventidn I have provided the driving and driven members with arms, oneof which carries a yielding projection, spring actuated and movable in adirection parallel to the axis or" rotation of said mem her, and theother member is provided with a hook shaped portion to engage saidprojection so that if the parts do not come together in proper relation,the spring actuated projection will yield, allowing the opposed arm topass it, springing into place thereafter and remaining in position to becaught by the arm on its next revolution. 1 also provide theinterengaging parts, the one with an overhanging portion, and the otherwith a correspondingly formed cutaway portion, so that when they are inengagement, they naturally tend to prevent the separation. of the parts,and therefore it is unnecessary ordinarily to provide any other lockingmeans for holding the frame of the feed mechanism against lateralmovement.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure i represents a portion of a printing press, and an automaticsheet feeding mechanism therefor constructed and arranged in accordancewith my present invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of a portion of the printing press frame,and the frame of the sheet feeding mechanism showing the latter movedout of operative relation with the press, and the driving and drivenmembers in separated relation.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective view of the driving and driven membersshowing them slightly separated.

Fig. t is a detail sectional view of the driving and driven membersshowing them in operative engagement.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the driving and driven members showing thedriving sprocket on the shaft of the driving member and dispensing withreversing pinions shown in the other figures, which may be required insome cases in order to secure the correct direction of rotation of thedriving and driven parts.

In the accompanying drawings, 1 represents the frame of a printingpress, which in this instance is of the type in which the type bedindicated at 2, is reciprocated horizontally by rack and pinion or othersuitable mechanism. As the particular details of the printing press donot concern the inven tion, it will not be further particularlyillustrated or described, except to say that it provided with the usualfeeding table 3, and the usual feed roll i and feed belts or tapes 5which receive the sheets and deliver them to the impression mechanism.represents an automatic sheet feeding mechanism supported upon asuitable frame 11, which in thisinstance is provided with supportingwheels or rollers 12 having their axes extending longitudinally withrespect to the press, so as to facilitate the movement of the" frame 11laterally with respect to the press, and a suitable guining means isprovided for guiding the feeding mechanism in this lateral movement intoand out of opera tive relation with the press. in this instance I haveshown a grooved track 13 which ongages the wheels on one side of theframe 11, and I may use one or more of said tracks, as desired, but findthat, owing to the weight of the frame and feed mechanism, si gle trackor guide is sufficient, and th permanently secured to the floor by sci,ws, or otherwise, in fixed. relation with the pre s. In the presentinstance I have shov-rn a sheet feeding mechanism constructed andoperating exactly as illustrated and described in my former Patent;'-.;E1,180,299, dated April 25, 1916. I do not, however, limit mv f tothe use of the present invention with an particular kind of sheetfeeding mechan'. and as the sheet feedingmechanism its-err has nobearing on the present invention, it unnecessary to describe either itscon. tion or operation except to say that sh .14 are delivered therebyfrom a pile, indic. at 14, to the feed mechanism &5 on feeding tableandconducted thereby, or in any other desired way to the impressiondevices of the press.

In order to'drive'the feeding mechanism from the press when in operativerelation therewith, and to permit the lateral movement of the feedingmechanism, 1 have shown the following instrumentalities. 15 representsthe driving member which coinprises a shaft mounted in a bracket 16secured to the frame of the press, and operatively connected with arotary part of the press, as the shaft 6 in Fig. 1. If the shaft 6 orother rotary part of the press does not rotate in the same direction asthat desired for the shaft 15, I provide the shaft 15 with a pinion 17engaging a pinion 18 on a stud 19 carrying a sprocket wheel 20 connectedby chain 21 with a sprocket wheel 7 on the shaft 6 so as to secure thedesired direction of rotation with the driving member. If. however, theshaft 6 turns in the same direction as that desired. for the drivingmember, the pinions 17 18 and shaft 19 may be omitted and the sprocketand other driving wheel can be mounted directly on the shaft 15, asindicated 20 in Fig. 5. The shaft 15 or driving member carries in thisinstance an arm 22 having a hook-shaped portion 23, and the drivingmember is also provided with a concentric projection 24.

The frame of the sheet feeding mechanism is provided with a drivenmember 25, which in this instance is a shaft carried in bracketsextending from the frame 11 and connected by means of sprocket 26 andsprocket chain 27 with a sprocket wheel 28 on counter shaft 29, which isin turn connected by suitable sprocket gearing including the chain 30*with sheet feeding mechanism 19, or the coni'iection between the drivenshaft '25 and the sheet feeding mechanism can be made in any otherpreferred way. The shaft is provided with a concentric recess engaged bythe projection 2st from the driving l'116l11 ber when the parts are inoperative relation, as shown in l and 5. The shaft 25 is also providedwith an ar .1 33 carrying at its outer end a spring pressed pin orprojection 34 mounted in a recess in the arm 33, and pressed outwardlyby a spring 85 to its normal position, in which it is held by collar 36.The outer end of the projection 34: is preferably of larger diameterthan the inner end and the hook-shaped portion 23 of the other arm 22 iscut-away adjacent to its outer face to accommodate this enlargedportion'of the pro ection as indicated at X in Figs. 4t and 5, so the hepin or projection 34L has an overhanging portion to engage acorrespondingly cut-away portion of the opposed arm. When, therefore,the parts are in driving engagement, the driving pressure of thehook-shaped portion 23 of the arm 22 on the projection 34 will reventthe arms 22 and 83 from separating and hold them in operative relationso that they will not become separated by jars or accidental pressureagainst'the feed mocha nism. It will therefore be ordinarily unnecessaryto provlde locking means for holdthe driving shaft 31 of the ing thefeed mechanism in operative rela tion with the press. I may, however,provide such locking mechanism if desired, which may rigidly connect theframe 11 and the press frame 1, or may connect the frame 11 to theflooring against lateral movement, as preferred.

It is obvious from the foregoing description that when it is desired toget access to the rear portion of the press, as for example, to do somework on the reciprocating bed, or to otherwise require the operator tohave access to the rear end of the press, the auto matic sheet feedingmechanism can be simply pushed laterally completely away from the rearend of the press, so as to give access thereto, without uncoupling orunfastening any parts, and the operator can perform such work as may benecessary on the press, as well as if the sheet feeding mechanism werenot connected with the machine. hen it is desired to use the sheetfeeding mechanism, it is only necessary to move it back into itsposition in rear of the press so as to reengage the driving and drivenmembers 15-22 and 2583. It will frequently happen that owing to somemovement of the press, effected by the operator, while the parts areseparated, the driving and driven members will not be in position tocorrectly reengage. If, however, the projection 34 engages on eitherside of the arm 22, the arm will engage said projection at the properpoint in its revolution, and the parts will proceed in timed relation.If, however, the projection or pin 34 strikes against the face of thearm 22, it will simply yield to permit the driving and driven members tocome together, the concentric projection 24. entering the concentricrecess 32. When power is applied to the driving member by starting thepress, the arm 22 will simply slip off the end of the projection 34:,which will spring into its normal position, and will be engaged by thehook-shaped portion 23, when it comes around in the next revolution,thereby taking up the operation of the driven member in proper timedrelation. My invention will be found of great benefit, advantage, andconvenience in the operation of presses in conjunction with antomaticfeeding apparatus, and will obviate the present serious difficultieswhich are being experienced where the feeding mechanism is permanentlylocated with respect to the press.

What I claim and desire ters Patent is 1. The combination with aprinting press, of an automatic sheet feeding mechanism therefor,provided with supporting means independent of the press, said sheetfeeding mechanism and its supporting means being movable bodily towardand from the press, and driving means for the sheet feeding to secure byLetmechanism comprising a driving member located on and supported by thepress and operatively connected with a rotary part thereof, and aseparate driven member located 011 and supported by the sheet feedingmechanism, and maintained by the independent supporting means thereof inposition to detachably engage the driving memher when the sheet feedingmechanism is in operative relation with the press, whereby said membersmay be disengaged, and said sheet feeding mechanism may be moved bodilyaway from the press to afford access to the press when desired.

2. The combination with a printing press, of an automatic sheet feedingmechanism therefor, provided with supporting means independent of thepress, said sheet feeding mechanism and its supporting means beingmovable bodily toward and from the press, and driving means for thesheet feeding mechanism comprising a driving member located on andsupported by the press and operatively connected with a rotary partthereof, and a separate driven member located on and supported by thesheet feeding mechanism, and maintained by the independent supportingmeans thereof in position to detachably engage the driving memher whenthe sheet feeding mechanism is in operative relation with the press,whereby said members may be disengaged, and said sheet feeding mechanismmay be moved bodily away from the press to afford access to the presswhen desired, and guiding means for controlling the movement of saidsheet feeding mechanism bodily away from and toward the press, andfacilitating the reengagement of said driving and driven members, afterthe separation thereof.

8. The combination with a printing press, of an automatic sheet feedingmechanism therefor, provided with supporting means independent of thepress, said sheet feeding mechanism and its supporting means beingmovable bodily toward and from the press, and driving means for thesheet feeding mechanism comprising a driving member located on andsupported by the press and operatively connected with a rotary partthereof, and a separate driven member located on and supported by thesheet feeding mechanism, and maintained by the independent supportingmeans thereof in position to detachably engage the driving member whenthe sheet feeding mechanism is in operative relation with the press,whereby said memers may be disengaged, and said sheet feeding mechanismmay be moved bodily away from the press to afford access to the presswhen desired, the said driving and driven members being provided withinterengaging parts, one of which is capable of yielding to facilitatethe reengagement of said parts after separation.

' ber mounted on and operatively feeding mechanism comprising a drivingmember supported on the press and a driven member supported by theindependent supporting means for the sheet feeding mechanism andoperatively connected therewith, said members having their axes inalinement with each other and in a line parallel to the line of bodilymover ent of the sheet feeding mechanism toward and from the press, saidmembers being provided with means for detachably engaging each otherwhen the feeding mechanism is in operative relation with the press.

5. T he combination with a printing press, of an automatic sheet feedingmechanism therefor, movable bodily with respect to the press to affordaccess to the latter, and driving' means for the SlQQt feeding mechanismcomprising a rotary driving member located on the press and operativelyconnected with a rotary part thereof, a rotary driven memwith thesheetfeeding mechanism and movable with the same into and out ofoperative relation with the driving member, one of said members beingprovided with an eccentrically located projection and the other of saidmembers being provided with an eccentrically located portion foroperatively engaging said projection to transmit power from the drivingto the driven member.

6.. The combination with a printing press, of an automatic sheet feedingmechanism therefor, movable bodily with respect to the press to affordaccess to the latter, and driving means :ror the sheet feeding mechanismcomprising a rotary driving member located on the press and operativelyconnected with a rotary part thereof, a rotary driven member mounted onand operatively connected with the sheet feeding mechanism and mov ablewith the same into and out of operative relation with the drivingmember, one of said members being provided with an eccentrically locatedprojection and the other of said members being provided with aneccentric part for engaging said projection, one of said interengagingparts being yieldingly supported tofacilitate the interengagement ofsaid parts when. the sheet feeding mechanism is moved intoopera-tiverelation with tne members. 7

7. The combinationwith printing press, of an automatic sheet feedingmechanism therefor, movable bodily with respect to the press to affordaccess to the latter, and driv connected tion parallel to their ingmeans for the sheet feeding mechanism comprising a rotary driving memberlocated on the press and operatively connected with a rotary partthereof, a rotary driven member mounted on and operatively connect-edwith the sheet feeding mechanism and movable with the same into and outof operative relation with the driving member, the direction of movementof the sheet feeding mechanism into and out of operative relation viththe members being parallel to the axes of the driving and drivenmembers, said 'iembers being provided the one with a projection locatedeccentrically and capable of yielding in a direction parallel to itsaxis of rotation, and the other of said members being. provided with aneccentric-ally. disposed portion for engaging said projection. 8. Thecombination with a printing press, of an automatic sheet feedingmechanism therefor, movable bodily with respect to the press to affordaccess to the latter, and driving means for the sheet feeding mechanismcomprising a rotary driving member located on the press and operativelyconnected with rotary part thereof, a rotary driven member mounted onand operatively connected with the sheet feeding mechanism and movablewith the same into and out of operative relation with the drivingmember, the move ment of said sheet feeding mechanism into and out ofoperative relation with the press being in direction parallel to theaxes of rotation of said members, one of said members being providedwith an eccentrically located projection, and the other being providedwith an eccentrically located portion for engaging said projection, saidinterengaging parts being provided with means for preventing them fromseparating in a direcaxes of rotation, when in operative engagement. V

9. T he combination with a printing press, of an automatic sheet feedingmechanism therefor, movable bodily with respect to the- .press to affordaccess to the latter, and driving means for the sheet feeding mechanismcomprising a rotary driving member located on the press and operativelyconnected with a rotary part thereof, arotary driven member mounted. onand operatively connected with the sheet feeding mechanism and movablewiththe same into and outof operative relation with the driving member,the movement of said sheet feeding mechanism into and out of operativerelation with the press being in a direction parallel to the axes ofrotation of said members, one of said members be ng provided with aneccentrically located pro ection, and the other being provided with aneccentrically located portion for engaging sa d promotion, said proection 7 being provided with an overhanging portion,

and the contacting portion of the other menu ber being correspondinglyformed to hold said members when in operative engagement againstmovement away from each other.

10. The combination with a printing press, of an automatic sheet feedingmechanism therefor, movable laterally and bodily with and carriedthereby, movable with the sheet feeding mechanism lnto and out of opertive relation with the driving member and comprising a rotary part, anarm carried by each of said rotary parts, one of said arms beingprovided with an eccentric projection in the path of the other arm.

11. The combination with a printing press, of an. automatic sheetfeeding mechanism therefor, movable laterally and bodily with respect tothe press, to give access thereto, a driving member located on thepress, and comprising a rotary part operatively connected with a rotarypart of the press, a concentric driven member operatively connected withthe sheet feeding mechanism, and carried thereby, movable with the sheefeeding mechanism into and out of opera tire relation with the drivingmember and comprising a rotary part, an arm carried by each of saidrotary parts, one of said arms being provided with an eccentricprojcction in the path of the other arm, said projection being movablein a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of said rotary arms, anda spring for holding said projection in operative position with respectto the other arm.

12. The combination with a printing press, of an automatic sheet feedingmechanism therefor, movablelaterally and bodily with respect to thepress, to give access thereto, a driving member located on the press,and comprising a rotary part operatively connected with a rotary part ofthe press, a concentric driven member operatively connected with thesheet feeding mechanism, and carried thereby, movable with the sheetfeeding mechanism into and out of operative relation with the drivingmember and comprising a rotary part, an arm carried by each of saidrotary parts, one of said arms being provided with an eccentricprojection in the path of the other arm, said projection being movablein a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of said rotary arms, anda spring for holding said projections in 0perative position with respectto the other arm, one of said members being provided with a concentricprojection for engaging a concentric recess in the other member whensaid members are in operative relation.

13. The combination with a printing press, of an automatic sheet feedingmechanism therefor, mounted on a separate frame movable bodily laterallywith respect to the press, guiding means for guiding the sheet feedingmechanism in its lateral movement, driving means for the sheet feedingmechanism comprising a rotary driving member located on the press andoperatively connected with the rotary part thereof, a driven membercarried by the frame of the sheet feeding mechanism and movable with thesame into and out of operative relation with the driving member andoperatively con nected with the sheet feeding mechanism, said membersbeing each provided with an arm, and one of said members being providedwith a concentric projection, and the other with a concentric recess forengaging the same, one of said arms being provided with an eccentricdriving projection provided with an overhanging portion, and movable ina direction parallel with the axis of rotation of said member, and aspring engaging said projection and holding it in operative position,the other arm being provided with a hooloshaped portion for engagingsaid projection, said hook-shaped portion being cut away adjacent to theouter side to engage the overhanging portion of said projection and holdsaid arms against movement away from each other when said members are indriving relation.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ROBERT E. KEMPER.

